Have you received a message from a WWOOFer asking you to provide them with a letter of invitation? Has a WWOOFer asked you to provide them with personal documents to help them get a visa?
It is important to know that you are NEVER expected to provide a letter of invitation or share any personal documents to WWOOFers in order to set up a Visit. If WWOOFers are seeking a visa to enter Canada, they are expected to do so without any assistance from WWOOF or WWOOF hosts.
If you would like to provide this letter of invitation to a WWOOFer
First, we would suggest you act with extreme caution when providing a letter of invitation to WWOOFers and would warn you to never send your birth certificate or similarly private documents to WWOOFers when arranging a Visit Request. It is true that a letter of invitation and documents proving your identity as an invitee can be a normal part of visitors from certain countries applying for a visa to enter Canada. That said, sending that private information to a stranger could put you in a great deal of risk.
Second, we suggest that you become well aware of what is expected of you when providing a letter of invitation. Providing a letter of invitation to someone involves a certain level of responsibility linked to the person being invited. You must be knowledgeable about your obligations and ensure that you appropriately understand the level of accountability that it implies. Only ever send important documents (or copies of those documents) directly to officials at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
To find out more about Letters of Invitation click on the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/letter-invitation.html
Third, we suggest that you interrogate the motives of any WWOOFer requesting that you provide them with a letter of invitation or personal documents. There are visitors from certain countries who legitimately want to come WWOOFing in Canada and would need a letter of invitation to do so. However, there are also those who are not contacting hosts in good faith. These individuals are often misled by third-party websites that promote WWOOF as a way to immigrate to Canada. We do not approve of this behaviour, and remove folks who are using WWOOF for this purpose.
If you believe that a WWOOFer seems to be using WWOOF in an attempt to immigrate to Canada, please let us know. We will reach out to them directly to warn them against this behaviour. While most WWOOFers have good intentions, it is our job as an organization to ensure that those joining our community are doing so with the right intentions and remove those who are not. Maintaining a community founded on trust and integrity is of utmost importance to us.
